Stratenmakers en een gezicht in Amsterdam c. 1886 - 1903

George Hendrik Breitner made this sketch of road workers and a face in Amsterdam using graphite on paper. Breitner was known for capturing the dynamism of city life, and in this sketch, he gives us a glimpse into the working-class world of late 19th-century Amsterdam. During this period, the Netherlands was undergoing rapid industrialization and urbanization, leading to significant social changes. Breitner, who was a social realist, often focused on the lives of ordinary people, particularly laborers. He was interested in capturing the gritty reality of their daily existence. In this sketch, the road workers are shown engaged in their labor, their faces and bodies reflecting the physical demands of their work. This piece resonates with an authenticity that invites us to consider the contributions and struggles of those who built the cities we inhabit.